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Lawton has new online registration for students

Sun, 07/16/2017 - 2:36amStaff

With the Fourth of July now in the rearview mirror, the start of a new school year is on the near horizon.

School will begin on Aug. 11 for Lawton Public Schools. But before students can attend, there are some things parents or guardians must do register if the students are new to the district, had a lapse in enrollment or are starting pre-kindergarten; and all students need to check in to get their schedules and finish paperwork, said Kim Elam, the school district's data administrator.

Registration is already underway and it is easier and more convenient with the new online registration process, which allows parents to register students electronically, Elam said, adding that providing online capability was in response to the "steady increase in questions regarding applying online."

The project headed by Elam; Mark Mattingly, executive director of Douglass Learning Center for the district; and David Erwin, Data Center director went live on July 1 and the feedback from new families in the district and from those re-enrolling after a lapse in enrollment has already been very good, Elam said.

"The feedback is that it was quick and easy. Just in a week's time, we have already processed about 300 students" using the online registration, Elam said.

Registration: Who and how

Students kindergarten through 12th grade who are new to the district and those who have had a lapse in enrollment must register online first.

The process to register a student is simple, with parents filling out the required forms online. If no secure computer is available at home, parents may use the secure computers in the kiosks available at Student Services, Douglass Learning Center, 102 E. Gore, from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. weekdays.

Public computers are not secure and some of the information is confidential, Elam said, adding that the computers for parent use at Student Services are secure and are only connected to the online registration program.

To access the program at home or at a secure computer, visit www.lawtonps.org, click on "menu" on the upper left side of page and scroll to find "Online Registration" in the list. Click to find the "Welcome to Online Registration" page.

Filling out the forms should only take about 15 minutes, Elam said. After the registration is done, two emails will be received the first one saying the registration was received, the second one indicating if the registration was approved or denied. If denied, the email will tell the parent what to do next.

If a printer is available, parents can print out the forms they filled out in the online program required for all students when registering Title VI Indian Eligibility, Enrollment Questionnaire and Home Language Survey to speed up the check-in process in early August. If printing the forms is not possible, then the parent should take the required documentation at the appointed check-in date and time (see below).

Also listed on the "Welcome to Online Registration" page are the health resource forms, including immunization requirements in both English and Spanish, Tdap requirement for seventh-graders and medication requests, both prescription and non-prescription.

Families of returning students must visit Student Services before check-in only if there has been a change in custodial guardianship, Elam said.

Pre-kindergartners on waiting list

Almost all or, by now, all of the kindergarten slots are full, so the district has a waiting list for students who have all the proper documentation, Elam said.

Parents of pre-kindergartners should go directly to Student Services at the Douglass Learning Center or call 353-0171 for enrollment information instead of first trying to register online. A parent or guardian must take all required documentation to Student Services, including an official birth certificate, immunization record and proof of residence, which must be a utility bill with the home address or a lease/mortgage statement. All the documents must be in order and required shots or waivers must be up to date.

"We won't put them on the waiting list until we can guarantee they qualify we check the documentation," Elam said. "There is no way to predict if spots will open or not, but if they do ... we will contact them."

If a parent is contacted that a child has a pre-kindergarten slot, he or she should ill out the registration as mentioned in the previous section.

Check-in: All students

All students must be checked in at the schools they will attend this fall. Dates and times are listed in the accompanying box and at www.lawtonps.org/news.